Tetramorium belgaense

Tetramorium belgaense
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Tetramorium
Species group:	tortuosum
Species:	T. belgaense
Binomial name
Tetramorium belgaense Forel, 1902 Specimen Labels

Identification

Akbar et al. (2023) - Tetramorium belgaense is most similar to Sri Lankan Tetramorium yerburyi, which however is much larger and is characterized by relatively longer antennal scape, long stout hairs projecting from the dorsal surface of the hind tibiae, and low and blunt propodeal lobes, which are very obtusely triangular at most. Relatively smaller T. belgaense has shorter antennal scape, only short pubescence, and narrowly and acutely elongate-triangular propodeal lobes (see Bolton 1979).

Bolton (1977) - The queen is similar to Tetramorium eleates but the known range of this species does not overlap that of belgaense. The queens of the two species are separated by the following characters:

T. belgaense Postpetiole reticulate-rugose Tergite of postpetiole in profile much higher than long Eyes larger, maximum diameter c. 0.38 Scapes relatively longer, SI 85 (with HW 0.80, HL 0.86)

T. eleates Postpetiole dorsum smooth Tergite of postpetiole in profile about as long as high Eyes smaller, maximum diameter c. 0.22 Scapes relatively shorter, SI 76 (with HW 0.82, HL 0.86)

Keys including this Species

• Key to Tetramorium of India
• Key to the Indian and Sri Lankan Tetramorium tortuosum group species

Distribution

Akbar et al. (2023) - Tetramorium belgaense is endemic to India. It has been reported from Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. The species was first described by Forel (1902) based on a queen collected from Karnataka, Belgaum. Bolton (1979) subsequently described the worker specimens from Mysore 23 km south of Haliyal (housed in NHMUK). No other finding of this species has ever been reported, with the exception of a sample collected by John Longino on 7 July 2001 using Winkler sampling from scrub vegetation on a slope above rice paddies in Goa, Saligao, India (AntWeb specimen identifier code: JTLC000000405) and recent report of Rajesh et al. (2020) from Kasaragod District in the north Malabar part of Kerala. The T. belgaense record from West Bengal by Bharti et al. (2016) attributed to Tiwari (1999) is incorrect.

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  Akbar et al. (2023), Fig. 1. Distribution of the Tetramorium tortuosum group species in India and Sri Lanka. A: T. alii; B: T. belgaense; C: T. binghami; D: T. hitagarciai; E: T. keralense; F: T. pilosum; G: T. tortuosum; H: T. urbanii; I: T. yerburyi.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: India (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

• belgaense. Tetramorium (Xiphomyrmex) belgaense Forel, 1902c: 238 (q.) INDIA. Bolton, 1979: 174 (w.). See also: Bolton, 1977: 79.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Queen

Bolton (1977) - TL 4.6, HL 0.86, HW 0.80, CI 93, SL 0.68, SI 85, PW 0.80, AL 1.36.

Mandibles striate. Antennal scrobes strongly developed, with an acute and marked dorsal margin; the frontal carinae continuing back almost to the occipital margin, well behind the lateral ocelli. Eyes large, maximum diameter c. 0.38. Alitrunk in dorsal view with the pronotal angles rounded, not prominent. Propodeum armed with a pair of long spines, the metapleural teeth about half as long as these spines, acute and upcurved. Node of petiole in profile roughly rectangular, higher than long, with the dorsum evenly but shallowly convex. Node of postpetiole feebly anteroposteriorly compressed, much higher than long, convex above. In dorsal view both nodes distinctly broader than long, maximum width of petiole and postpetiole respectively c. 0.36, 0.50. Dorsum of head coarsely longitudinally rugose with a few scattered cross-meshes. Pronotum reticulate-rugose, the remainder of the dorsal alitrunk sculptured as the head but the individual rugae lower and rounded, much less well defined. All surfaces of both pedicel segments coarsely reticulate-rugose, the gaster smooth and unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous stout hairs which are blunt apically. Colour reddish brown, the legs and antennae lighter, yellowish brown, the gaster darker red-brown.

Type Material

Bolton (1977) - Holotype female, INDIA: Belgaum (Wroughton) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève) [examined].

References

• Agavekar, G.; Hita Garcia, F.; Economo, E.P. 2017. Taxonomic overview of the hyperdiverse ant genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in India with descriptions and X-ray microtomography of two new species from the Andaman Islands. PeerJ 5:e3800. (doi:10.7717/peerj.3800).
• Akbar, S. A.; Schifani, E.; Bharti, H.; Wachkoo, A. A. 2023. Taxonomic overview of the Tetramorium tortuosum group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in India and Sri Lanka, with descriptions of three new species from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Annales Zoologici Fennici 60:109-126. (doi:10.5735/086.060.0112).
• Bharti, H. & Kumar, R. 2012. Taxonomic studies on genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with report of two new species and three new records including a tramp species from India with a revised key. ZooKeys. 207:11-35. doi:10.3897/zookeys.207.3040
• Bolton, B. 1977. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions, and in Australia. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology. 36: 67-151.
• Bolton, B. 1979. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Malagasy region and in the New World. Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomol. 38: 129-181 (page 174, worker described)
• Forel, A. 1902c. Myrmicinae nouveaux de l'Inde et de Ceylan. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 165-249 (page 238, queen described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Bolton B. 1977. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions, and in Australia. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 36:67-151.
• Forel A. 1902. Myrmicinae nouveaux de l'Inde et de Ceylan. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 165-249.
• Forel A. 1903. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part X. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 679-715.